The 1989 Newfoundland general election was held on April 20, 1989 to elect members of the 41st General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was won by the Liberal party despite polling fewer votes than the Conservatives. Unusually, however, Liberal leader Clyde Wells was defeated by Lynn Verge in his own riding of Humber East despite having led his party to victory. Consequently, a member of his caucus, Eddie Joyce, resigned shortly after the election, and Wells was acclaimed to office in the riding of

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for ...

. Seven years later, Verge was the leader of the Progressive Conservatives during the 1996 election, and she also lost Humber East in the election, though her party did not win that election.

Opinion polls

Results

, - style="background:#ccc;" ! rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align:left;", Party ! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;", Party leader !rowspan="2", Candidates ! colspan="4" style="text-align:center;", Seats ! colspan="3" style="text-align:center;", Popular vote , - style="background:#eee;" , style="text-align:center;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

, style="text-align:center;", Dissol. , style="text-align:center;", 1989 , style="text-align:center;", Change , style="text-align:center;", # , style="text-align:center;", % , style="text-align:center;", % Change , - , style="text-align:left;" , Clyde Wells , style="text-align:right;" , 52 , style="text-align:right;" , 15 , style="text-align:right;" , 14 , style="text-align:right;" , 31 , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , 137,271 , style="text-align:right;" , 47.2 , style="text-align:right;" , +10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" ,

Tom Rideout Thomas "Tom" Gerald Rideout (born June 25, 1948) is a former Canadian politician who served as the fourth premier of Newfoundland from March 22, 1989 to May 5, 1989. Life and career Born in Fleur de Lys, Newfoundland, Rideout was first electe ...

, style="text-align:right;" , 52 , style="text-align:right;" , 36 , style="text-align:right;" , 34 , style="text-align:right;" , 21 , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , 138,609 , style="text-align:right;" , 47.6 , style="text-align:right;" , –1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;" , Cle Newhook , style="text-align:right;" , 36 , style="text-align:right;" , 1 , style="text-align:right;" , 2 , style="text-align:right;" , 0 , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , 12,929 , style="text-align:right;" , 4.4 , style="text-align:right;" , –10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan=2 , Independents , style="text-align:right;" , 5 , style="text-align:right;" , 0 , style="text-align:right;" , 0 , style="text-align:right;" , 0 , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , 2,138 , style="text-align:right;" , 0.8 , style="text-align:right;" , +0.5 , colspan="4" style="text-align:left;", Vacant , style="text-align:right;" , 2 , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , , style="text-align:right;" , , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan="3", Total , style="text-align:right;", 145 , style="text-align:right;", 52 , style="text-align:right;", 52 , style="text-align:right;", 52 , style="text-align:right;", - , style="text-align:right;", 291,785 , style="text-align:right;", 100 , style="text-align:right;", -

Results by district

*Names in boldface type represent party leaders. *† represents that the incumbent did not run again. *‡ represents that the incumbent ran in a different district.

St. John's

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Kilbride
77.25% turnout , , Gerry Glavine
2,960
42.09% , , , Robert Aylward
3,452
49.08% , , Kevin James
621
8.83% , , , Robert Aylward , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Pleasantville
74.87% turnout , , , Walter Noel
3,284
47.12% , , Stephen Stafford
2,972
42.65% , , Dennis MacKay
713
10.23% , , , Jerome Dinn† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. John's Centre
79.52% turnout , , , Hubert Kitchen
2,967
46.14% , , Patrick McNicholas
2,838
44.14% , , Vicky Silk
625
9.72% , , , Patrick McNicholas , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. John's East
83.00% turnout , , Lynette Billard
1,212
21.09% , , , Shannie Duff
2,397
41.72% , ,

Gene Long Gene Long (born 1957) is a former politician in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He was elected in 1986 as the New Democratic Party member of the House of Assembly for the riding of St. John's East. Long ran for the party leadership in Marc ...

2,137
37.19% , , , Gene Long , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. John's North
69.73% turnout , , , Phil Warren
2,705
52.66% , ,

Tom Osborne Thomas William Osborne (born February 23, 1937) is an American former football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and politician from Nebraska. He served as head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1997 (25 sea ...

1,937
37.71% , , Dorothy Inglis
495
9.63% , , , John Carter† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. John's South
71.49% turnout , , , Tom Murphy
2,107
43.08% , , Douglas Atkinson
2,105
43.04% , , Linda Hyde
679
13.88% , , , John Collins† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

St. John's West St. John's West could refer to: * St. John's West (federal electoral district) * St. John's West (provincial electoral district) {{Disambiguation ...

72.52% turnout , , , Rex Gibbons
3,389
53.35% , , Harold Barrett
2,583
40.67% , , Larry Power
380
5.98% , , , Harold Barrett , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Waterford-Kenmount
79.59% turnout , , , Eric Gullage
3,947
53.06% , , Ralph Tucker
3,188
42.85% , , Wayne James
304
4.09% , , , Eric Gullage , -

St. John's suburbs

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Conception Bay South Conception Bay South is a town in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The town is commonly called CBS. The town is located on the Avalon Peninsula which forms part of the southern shore of Conception Bay which is in turn part of ...

91.44% turnout , , , Pat Cowan
3,107
53.50% , , John Butt
2,580
44.42% , , Edgar Russell
121
2.08% , , , , , John Butt , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Mount Pearl Mount Pearl is the fourth-largest municipality and second-largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The city is located southwest of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the isla ...

86.13% turnout , , Gordon Seabright
3,834
46.27% , , , Neil Windsor
4,273
51.57% , , Leo Thistle
179
2.16% , , , , , Neil Windsor , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Mount Scio-Bell Island
74.89% turnout , , , Jim Walsh
3,143
44.73% , , Myrle Vokey
3,107
44.22% , , Kevin Walsh
425
6.05% , , Josiah Harvey (Independent)
351
5.00% , , ,

Leo Barry Leo Barry (born 19 May 1977) is a retired Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League (AFL) with the Sydney Swans. Originally from Deniliquin, New South Wales, Barry attended Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, before being d ...

† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. John's East Extern
85.57% turnout , , John O'Brien
2,430
31.65% , , , Kevin Parsons
3,750
48.84% , , Cle Newhook
1,498
19.51% , , , , , Kevin Parsons

Avalon Peninsula

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Carbonear Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It overlooks the west side of Conception Bay and had a history long tied to fishing and shipbuilding. Since the late 20th century, its economy has changed to empha ...

90.70% turnout , , , Art Reid
3,581
50.94% , , Milton Peach
3,387
48.18% , , , , Nicholas Murray (Independent)
62
0.88% , , , Milton Peach , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Ferryland Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Avalon Peninsula. According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census, its population is 371. Seventeenth century settlement Ferryland was originally established as a station for migratory fi ...

89.25% turnout , , Tom Carey
1,711
35.68% , , , Charlie Power
2,954
61.61% , , Aiden Coady
130
2.71% , , , , , Charlie Power , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Harbour Grace Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the 16th century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about northwest of ...

85.79% turnout , , , John Crane
3,213
56.96% , , Joe Gregory
2,428
43.04% , , , , , , , Haig Young† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Harbour Main
78.65% turnout , , Rod Fowler
1,485
23.62% , , ,

Norman Doyle Norman "Blicky" Doyle (born November 11, 1945) is a Canadian businessman and politician in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was a member of the Senate of Canada from 2012 to 2020 and a Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2008. P ...

4,123
65.59% , , Gus Flannigan
678
10.79% , , , , , Norman Doyle , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Placentia
83.95% turnout , , , William Hogan
2,702
58.23% , , William Patterson
1,760
37.93% , , Cletus Canning
178
3.84% , , , , , William Patterson , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Port de Grave
87.77% turnout , , ,

John Efford Ruben John Efford (January 6, 1944 – January 2, 2022) was a Canadian politician. He first served as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly (MHA) from 1985 to 2001, representing Port de Grave electoral district and also s ...

4,797
69.43% , , Lewis Gosse
2,050
29.67% , , Wayne Lucas
62
0.90% , , , , , John Efford , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

St. Mary's-The Capes Placentia—St. Mary's is a provinces and territories of Canada, provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district for the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011, th ...

79.95% turnout , , Don O'Keefe
913
22.13% , , ,

Loyola Hearn Loyola Hearn, (born March 25, 1943) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician. Hearn is the former Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. He served as a Member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2008, and as Minister of Fisheries and O ...

3,100
75.13% , , Ian Penney
113
2.74% , , , , , Loyola Hearn , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Trinity-Bay de Verde
81.39% turnout , , , Lloyd Snow
2,768
54.92% , , Wayne Quinlan
1,999
39.66% , , Bert Pitcher
189
3.75% , , Bren Howard (Independent)
84
1.67% , , , James Reid†

Eastern Newfoundland

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

77.31% turnout , , , Percy Barrett
3,842
60.91% , , Bruce Stagg
2,233
35.40% , , Harvey Thistle
233
3.69% , , ,

Wilson Callan Wilson Elwood Callan (October 8, 1939 – August 13, 2022) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Bellevue in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly ...

† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Bonavista North Bonavista North was a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It existed from when Newfoundland joined confederation in 1949 until 2015. As of 2011 the district had 6,956 eligible voters. Wh ...

88.06% turnout , , , Tom Lush
3,470
58.44% , , Eli Cross
2,351
39.59% , , Ingwald Feltham
117
1.97% , , , Tom Lush , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Bonavista South Bonavista South is a former provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011 the district had 6,843 eligible voters. It contains the communities of: Bonavista, Spillars Cove, Birchy Cove ...

67.54% turnout , , , Aubrey Gover
1,952
47.12% , , Roger Fitzgerald
1,932
46.63% , , Rex Sheppard
259
6.25% , , , Jim Morgan† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Fogo
84.85% turnout , ,

Beaton Tulk Reginald Beaton Tulk (May 22, 1944 – May 23, 2019) was a Canadian educator, civil servant and politician. He served as the seventh premier of Newfoundland from 2000 to 2001 as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. To dat ...

2,872
49.19% , , , Sam Winsor
2,966
50.81% , , , , , Beaton Tulk , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Terra Nova
78.52% turnout , , Ray Goulding
2,370
44.23% , , , Glen Greening
2.920
54.50% , , Randy Miller
68
1.27% , , , Glen Greening , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Trinity North
79.02% turnout , , Wendell Moore
2,506
41.35% , , , Charlie Brett
3,431
56.61% , , Sam Kelly
124
2.04% , , , Charlie Brett

Central Newfoundland

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Baie Verte-White Bay
84.36% turnout , , Joe Gedge
879
17.62% , , ,

4,109
82.38% , , , , , Tom Rideout , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Exploits
73.35% turnout , , ,

Roger Grimes Roger D. Grimes (born May 2, 1950) is a Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador. Grimes was born and raised in the central Newfoundland town of Grand Falls-Windsor. Grimes is a former leader of the province's Liberal Party and was it ...

2,850
49.36% , , Paul Cooper
2,801
48.51% , , Reg Hemeon
123
2.13% , , , Hugh Twomey† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Gander
76.20% turnout , , ,

Winston Baker Winston Baker (born December 17, 1939) was a Canadian politician, who sat in the Newfoundland House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly () is the Unicameralism, unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly ...

3,460
60.66% , , Agnes Richard
2,029
35.57% , , Claude Elliott
215
3.77% , , , Winston Baker , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Grand Falls
85.41% turnout , , Jim Hornell
1,841
35.13% , , , Len Simms
3,400
64.87% , , , , , Len Simms , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Green Bay
72.90% turnout , , Maurice Budgell
2,128
41.15% , , , Alvin Hewlett
3,043
58.85% , , , , ,

Brian Peckford Alfred Brian Peckford (born August 27, 1942) is a Canadian politician who served as the third premier of Newfoundland from March 26, 1979 to March 22, 1989. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Peckford was first elected as the ...

† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Lewisporte
73.98% turnout , , , Melvin Penney
3,148
51.53% , , Anne Picco
2,836
46.42% , , Berkley Rose
125
2.05% , , , James Russell†
, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Twillingate Twillingate is a town of 2,121 people located on the Twillingate Islands ("Toulinquet") in Notre Dame Bay, off the north eastern shore of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The town is about north ...

79.81% turnout , , , Walter Carter
2,353
51.83% , , Ida Reid
2,133
46.98% , , John Lewis
54
1.19% , , , Walter Carter , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Windsor-Buchans
85.50% turnout , , , Graham Flight
2,336
50.69% , , Ray Hunter
2,164
46.96% , , Bernard Woodfine
108
2.35% , , , Clyde Wells‡

Southern Newfoundland

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Burgeo-Bay d'Espoir
82.39% turnout , , , Dave Gilbert
2,427
51.80% , , Dave Brenton
2,618
33.94% , , , , , Dave Gilbert , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Burin-Placentia West
85.82% turnout , , Dave Brenton
2,618
33.94% , , , Glenn Tobin
5,095
66.06% , , , , , Glenn Tobin , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Fortune-Hermitage
75.70% turnout , , Nathan Cutler
1,872
39.84% , , , Oliver Langdon
2,827
60.16% , , , , , Roger Simmons† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Grand Bank Grand Bank or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula (al ...

75.82% turnout , , Graham Wood
1,811
31.45% , , , Bill Matthews
3,948
68.55% , , , , , Bill Matthews , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, La Poile
70.89% turnout , , , Bill Ramsay
2,413
48.77% , , Cal Mitchell
1,757
35.52% , , Stephen MacKenzie
777
15.71% , , , Cal Mitchell

Western Newfoundland

, - , style="background:whitesmoke;" rowspan="3",

81.17% turnout , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3, Eddie Joyce
3,320
54.32% , rowspan=3, , rowspan=3, Leonard Gillingham
1,418
23.20% , , Myles Griffin (Independent)
789
12.91% , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3, Ted Blanchard† , - , , Trevor Bennett (Independent)
426
6.97% , - , , Ken Gould (NDP)
159
2.60% , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Humber East
88.75% turnout , , Clyde Wells
3,515
48.14% , , , Lynn Verge
3,658
50.10% , , Jim McManamy (NDP)
129
1.76% , , , Lynn Verge , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Humber Valley
79.95% turnout , , Gary Gale
2,125
44.16% , , , Rick Woodford
2,687
55.84% , , , , , Rick Woodford , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Humber West
87.30% turnout , , ,

Paul Dicks Paul D. Dicks (born 1950) is a lawyer and former politician in Newfoundland and Labrador. He represented Humber West in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1989 to 2001 as a Liberal. He was born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland ...

3,703
61.27% , , Jeannette Christopher
2,341
38.73% , , , , , Ray Baird† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Port au Port
91.91% turnout , , Mark Felix
2,192
47.62% , , , Jim Hodder
2,313
50.25% , , Leo Foley (NDP)
98
2.13% , , , Jim Hodder , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. Barbe
83.62% turnout , , ,

Chuck Furey Charles "Chuck" Furey (born March 6, 1954) is a former Canadian politician who represented the electoral district of St. Barbe in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1985 to 2000. The son of Leo Furey and Mary Bruce, he was b ...

3,573
50.96% , , Joseph Kennedy
3,439
49.04% , , , , , Chuck Furey , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, St. George's
77.91% turnout , , , Larry Short
2,647
55.52% , , Wayne Wheeler
2,121
44.48% , , , , , Ron Dawe† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Stephenville
87.39% turnout , , , Kevin Aylward
2,395
58.49% , , Wayne Morrison
1,500
36.63% , , Wade Morris (NDP)
200
4.88% , , , Kevin Aylward , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Strait of Belle Isle The Strait of Belle Isle ( ; ) is a waterway in eastern Canada, that separates Labrador from the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Location The strait is located in the southeast of the ...

70.53% turnout , , , Chris Decker
3,284
57.99% , , Francis Reardon
1,953
34.49% , , Edward Hollahan (Independent)
426
7.52% , , , Chris Decker , -

Labrador

, - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Eagle River
80.35% turnout , , , Danny Dumaresque
1,527
59.95% , , Reginald Hancock
1,020
40.05% , , , , ,

Eugene Hiscock Eugene Ronald Hiscock (born June 27, 1950) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Eagle River in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly () is the Unicameral ...

† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Menihek
87.02% turnout , , Bill Kelly
2,291
40.53% , , , Alec Snow
3,004
53.15% , , Nelson Larson
357
6.32% , , , Peter Fenwick† , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke, Naskaupi
90.42% turnout , , , Jim Kelland
2,882
68.90% , , Ian Strachan
1,118
26.73% , , Dorothy King
183
4.37% , , , Jim Kelland , - , bgcolor=whitesmoke,

Torngat Mountains The Torngat Mountains are a mountain range on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador and eastern Quebec. They are part of the Arctic Cordillera. The mountains form a peninsula that separates Ungava Bay from the ...

90.40% turnout , , Mervin Linstead
414
31.65% , , , Garfield Warren
821
62.77% , , Bill Wheaton
73
5.58% , , , Garfield Warren , -

Opinion polls

Results

Results by district

St. John's

St. John's suburbs

Avalon Peninsula

Eastern Newfoundland

Central Newfoundland

Southern Newfoundland

Western Newfoundland

Labrador

Notes

References

Further reading